So I’ve been back in New York City for almost 2 weeks now and finally uploaded the last of my vegan food pictures and my mouth actually started watering.

My vegan experiment went really really well and I feel so much better. I don’t think I’ll be 100 percent vegan now that I am back - but I am definitely cutting back on the dairy and eggs. The photos below and my happy body are motivation enough:

Lemon, arugula, white and green bean pasta salad with roasted pine-nuts w/ stuffed red peppers, romaine salad and fresh corn on the cob.

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With the birth of Nicole Kidman’s new baby making headlines, it reminded of a little movie she made called Birth that I’ve been meaning to see for some time. After seeing the film this weekend, I can’t help but wonder why her actual birth got more press than her performance in Birth - it was one of the best performances I’ve seen in some time.

The story focuses on Anna (Kidman), a woman who lost her husband Sean 10 years prior, and is now remarrying. At a party to celebrate her engagement to Joseph, a 10 year old boy shows up claiming to be her dead husband come back. From here the story becomes a ghostly look at how we deal with death and the nature of true love. Kidman steals the show as her Anna slowly begins to believe the young boy and we watch her fall back in love with someone she thought she had lost.

The clip below says it all:

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Well it has almost been a week of me being vegan - (I officially started Tuesday afternoon last week) and I have to say I feel pretty great.

Eating good vegetables and healthy grains (along with some protein from tofu, soy etc…) is really a good way to go - I feel lighter, happier and find myself craving fatty gross (yet tasty) foods a lot less. And, if you put a little effort in, you’ll see that vegetables can really look and taste good:

*Grilled tofu sandwich with fresh greens and red pepper (in a balsamic vinegarette)

More pretty pictures and a recipe - after the jump

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What did you eat yesterday? Chances are somewhere in your meal and snack choices was some corn. Don’t believe me? You should head on over to I-Tunes tomorrow and download a fascinating documentary called King Corn. Katie blogged about King Corn when it was in theaters and now, along with being on DVD, King Corn is making the move to I-Tunes.

You can now download the documentary that will make you question everything that you eat (as I write this I’m looking at my coffee, yogurt and cliff bar rather quizzically). As summer nears and more and more local food markets open, this may be the perfect time to hang out with a film that discusses what’s in our food and where it comes from.

takepart to download the film now and to watch the trailer and learn more, click here >>>

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The new trailer for City of Ember is out and since I know how much everyone here at TakePart likes Dystopian Cinema I thought I’d go ahead post it:

The film stars Bill Murray and everyone’s favorite actor/activist Tim Robbins:

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Social Action and Cinema YouTube Videos of the Day: (for Memorial Day!)

1) Memorial Day Weekend 2007 : Iraq Veterans Against the War launched Operation First Casualty

For the Cinema YouTube Video of the Day, Click here >>>

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Several topics really stood out this week, including the Oscars as social advocacy inspiration, civil rights and Black History Month, and lots of hot news on entertainment going Green. Check out our most popular posts of the week on these subjects, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

Happy Belated “Freedom to Marry” Week!

Rosa and Raymond Parks: Valiant Valentine #5

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Nicole:

Top 10 Oscar Picks to Inspire Social Action

Cornel West: Black Thoughts On Black History Month

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Giulia:

H&M’s “Fashion Against AIDS”

Ed Begley Jr. Goes Green

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Gina:

Top 10 Best Picture Winners That Inspire

Remixing “Chicago 10″

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Kerry:

How To Set the World On Fire Without Burning Out

Eco-Brokers Cater to Green Homebuyers

Forget about granite countertops, three car garages and his “Ëœn’ hers master bedrooms; more and more realtors are catering to eco-conscious home buyers who want energy-efficient appliances and insulation and environmentally friendly building materials, according to the Wall Street Journal.

With house sales in a slump, being on the cutting edge of the green building boom gives “eco-realtors” an edge with those who are looking to buy–or sell–a sustainably designed home.

Hugh Morris, spokesperson for the National Association of Realtors, told the Journal that “interest in “green” properties has surged,” and he now “answers about five calls a week from realtors asking how they can get eco-friendly credentials, compared with none a year ago.”

Find out how environmentally conscious realtors are helping homeowners go green at ecobroker.com.